Demons, Witches, and Toads (BoyxBoy) - Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Despite the fact that he was utterly exhausted, Wheeler lay awake in bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Every inch of him ached horribly, his fingers raw from the hours of scrubbing Milton had made him perform on nearly every inch of the academy floor. God, that man didn't take detention lightly. Wheeler had no doubt that a terrible fate awaited the creator of Slengeboner once Milton finally tracked them down.
The small clock resting above the hearth struck three AM now. Wheeler sighed heavily, rolling over. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to fall asleep. All he could think about were those worms. The poor little things had no idea of the horrible fate awaiting them as they sat in their tanks, alone in Milton's classroom.
Wheeler's eyes widened.
Wait...that was it! They were alone in the classroom. Sure the door was locked, but since there were no valuables inside it was probably only a simple one. Wheeler knew at least a dozen spells by now that could easily get him inside.
Well, it seemed a rescue mission was in order.
Silently, Wheeler slipped off the bed, careful not to wake the others. Mister Pumpernickel was gently nestled against the demon's shoulder, both luckily still fast asleep.
Mulock appeared more at peace like this than he ever did awake, his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. Wheeler watched him for a moment, smiling despite himself. The demon's features seemed so delicate when they weren't twisted into one of his usual malicious expressions.
A few loose strands of hair had fallen into Mulock's eyes. Wheeler found himself absently reaching forward, gently brushing them away. The moment he did it, Wheeler froze, jerking his hand back as if he'd just been burned.
What the hell was he doing?
He mustn't fall further.
Swallowing hard, Wheeler quickly grabbed for his pillow, yanking it from the case. He'd have to give it a proper wash after what he planned on using it for, but he didn't care.
Clutching the pillowcase tightly, he quietly made his way towards the door. When at last he reached it, Wheeler hesitated a moment, glancing back to Mulock and Mister Pumpernickel once more, the two still sleeping soundly.
"Look after each other," Wheeler murmured. "I'll be back soon." And with that, he silently slipped from the room.
***
Considering all of the places Wheeler had broken into within the academy, this had been the easiest by far. No monstrous birds or abandoning someone in a swamp required.
Wheeler arrived at the outskirts of the academy now, his pillowcase heavy with dirt along with every single blood worm that had once resided in Milton's classroom.
Finally, Wheeler gently emptied it, the worms beginning to wiggle out.
"Be free, little ones," Wheeler whispered. "Get far away from this place and live full, happy, wormy lives."
The worms began to bury themselves in the dirt, but one lingered, slowly squirming towards Wheeler. The boy recognized the large blood worm instantly.
"Maxwell!" he breathed.
The worm gave his foot a little nuzzle before going to join the other, returning back into the earth once more.
Wheeler wiped away a single tear. "Farewell, sweet Maxwell. Godspeed!" He waved at the dirt, continuing to do so until the last of the worms finally disappeared into it. "You take care of yourselves, my little friends."
Slowly, Wheeler rose to his feet, brushing the dirt and leaves from his trousers. As he turned to move back towards the academy however, he suddenly felt a pair of hands wrap around his chest, grabbing him from behind.
Wheeler froze, his heart jumping into his throat.
"Good evening, Wheeler Trevil," a voice came softly from the person behind him, still holding him firmly in place.
Wheeler swallowed hard, recognizing the voice instantly. It would've been impossible not to.
It was his own voice, after all.
"Who are you?" Wheeler gasped, his words tight with panic.
"You're not making this much of a struggle, are you?" his assailant mused. Wheeler could feel the warmth of his breath against the back of his neck. The feeling made him flinch, ice cold dread clawing at his gut.
Wheeler attempted to free himself, frantically jerking forward, but the other's hold on him was iron tight. He couldn't even reach for his wand.
"Awww, that was cute," the other purred. "Do it again."
Frightened, like a caged animal, Wheeler began to thrash desperately, attempting everything in his power to break free. His efforts were futile, the other's grip never once wavering.
"Was that really the best you've got? How sad." He let out a low, icy laugh that made Wheeler's skin crawl. "God, this is going to be even easier than I thought." Suddenly, the other brought his mouth to Wheeler's ear. "It's a shame you'll never get to say a proper goodbye to those friends of yours," he murmured. "But then again...how were you to know that tonight would be the last time you'd ever see them?"